A number of articles used in the healthcare and food industries including bedpans, urine bottles, sputum cups and other containers used in hospitals, clinics and similar institutions and many food contains are conventionally made of steel and/or plastic. The steel containers are washed and reused, while the plastic containers are generally discarded. It is to be noted that such plastic receptacles are not biodegradable and contribute significantly to the world's mounting waste disposal problems. As an alternative, many of these articles may be manufactured from paper mache or reconstituted paper pulp so that, after use by a patient, a container with its contents can be deposited inside a waste disposal machine and reduced to a coarse slurry through a combined wetting and mechanical action. The slurry is then washed down a drain into the local sewage system.
Separately, many articles of use which are manufactured from paper may be more easily and efficiently discarded and degraded if the articles are made of a water dispersible material. Thus, instead of placing the articles in landfills or other dumping grounds, the articles could be handled much as raw sewage is handled. Moreover, even if these articles are placed in landfills, the amount of time required for breakdown into biodegradable subunits is enhanced relative to paper products.
It has been proposed to manufacture water dispersible disposable containers from a mixture of cellulose powder, glass in powder or fibrous form and cellulose ether. The mixture of dry ingredients is combined with water and a resulting dough molded into the shape of a desired article such as a container. Although articles manufactured pursuant to this proposed process are satisfactory for many purposes, a need has been recognized for containers with an enhanced or accelerated water dispersibility. In addition, a clear need exists in the art for general chemical methods for influencing the dispersibility of water dispersible articles and in some instances to slow or retard dispersibility.
Water dispersible articles should be sufficiently strong to provide support for the intended use of the article. In addition, the containers must be essentially completely water dispersible so as to wash cleanly through conventional sewage and waste disposal systems.